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Florida prep pitcher taken with last Draft pick

Florida prep pitcher taken with last Draft pick

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Phillies' Draft recap 1:11

MLB.com recaps the Phillies' selections in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft

By Spencer Fordin
/
MLB.com |

Eric Hanhold had a big day on Wednesday, but he knows there are bigger days to come. Hanhold graduated high school and became the final player selected in Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft on Wednesday, but he said Thursday that he plans on attending college.

Hanhold, who has committed to the University of Florida, said he didn't find out about being drafted by the Phillies, in the 40th round and the 1,238th pick overall, until he was in the car on his way home from graduation. Now, Hanhold, the 14th "Don't Count Him Out" player recognized by MLB.com, is thinking about his next move.

"It was a surprise," he said. "I pretty much told everyone I was going to college, but they drafted me anyway. It felt good to get drafted even though I wasn't expecting it."

Hanhold, a right-handed pitcher from East Lake High School in Tarpon Springs, Fla., said that he's seen some growth in his game in the past two years and that he expects more of the same in the future.

Don't Count Him Out

Below is a list of the last player selected in each of the past 14 First-Year Player Drafts

Year

Player

Team

2011

Eric Hanhold

Phillies

2011

Kolya Stephenson

Phillies

2010

James Rice

Yankees

2009

Alibay Barkley

Angels

2008

Kyle Stroup

Red Sox

2007

Larry Day

Yankees

2006

Charles Matthews

Cardinals

2005

Blake Heym

Yankees

2004

Eric Gonzalez

Braves

2003

John Scaglione

Braves

2002

John Powell

Cardinals

2001

Patrick McGinnis

Giants

2000

Drew Jackson

Braves

1999

Scott Leitz

Braves

The youngster, who's listed at 6-foot-4 and 175 pounds, said that his prospect status improved markedly in the summer after his junior season. Hanhold said he put on 25 pounds of muscle from eating better and going to the gym, and he hopes to continue his maturation in college.

"You put in the hard work and you'd like to see the results," he said. "I just feel like I want the college experience, and I think I have that in Florida and I can have a chance to grow as a player."

Hanhold said that he didn't grow up a Gators fan but that he's looking forward to enrolling in school and beginning his college career. He's no stranger to hard work, and he knows that he has a lot of stuff to do in the next couple years.

"I just need to improve my velocity and my consistency," he said of his primary areas for refinement. "Locate all of my pitches better and get all three of them working."

Hanhold's graduation happened to take place in a big league venue -- Tampa Bay's Tropicana Field -- and he said it was gratifying to walk across the stage and share the moment with his family. There will be more big moments in his future, and he hopes to have some contact with the Phillies.

"They have a great organization," he said. "And I hope in three years they draft me again."

Spencer Fordin is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.